Open Access
Subscription Access
Open Access
Subscription Access
A Study about Awareness Regarding Pre-Natal Sex Determination and Gender Preference among Antenatal Women in Rural Bangalore
Subscribe/Renew Journal
Background: The preference for son and discrimination against the girl child is almost universal in India and manifest it in many ways. Changes in sex ratio reflect underlying socioeconomic, cultural patterns of a society. Skewed sex ratio is an issue of major concern. Desire for male child manifests so blatantly that parents have no qualms about repeated, closely spaced pregnancies, premature deaths and even terminating child before it is born.
Method: Total 200 antenatal women were interviewed by systematic random sampling with prior consent using a well designed, pre- tested questionnaire. The data was analyzed by percentages and chi-square test
Results: Overall in this study it was observed male preference was in 63% antenatal women. Out of total women with first child as a baby girl 78.6 % keenly wanted second baby as a boy. Almost more than half of the women (59%) were aware about consequences of female foeticide and 69% were aware of the PNDT act.
Keywords
- Focus-Population Environment Development: A Bulletin of Population Foundation of India: 2004.
- National Family Health Survey-3 Available-; http://www.nfhsindia.org/factsheet.shtml [accessed on 2011 Oct 20]
- Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Available http://www.nfhsindia.org/factsheet.shtml [accessed on 2011 Oct 20]
- India: Government of India. Census of India 2011—Census 2011 provisional resultspopulation totals. Available- www.censusindia. gov.in [accessed on 2011 Nov 20]
- Puri S. Gender preference and awareness regarding sex determination among married women in slums of Chandigarh. Indian J Community Med 2007;1:60-2.
- BN Vadera, UK Joshi, SV Unadakat, BS Yadav, Sudha Yadav Study on Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Regarding Gender Preference and Female Feticide Among Pregnant Women Indian Journal of Community Medicine Vol. 32, No. 4 (2007-10 - 2007-12)
- Mutharayappa R, Arnold F and Roy T.K. Son preference and its impact on fertility in India, National family health subject reports no. 3,Mumbai: International Institute for population sciences.
- Malhi P, Raina G, Malhotra D. Preference for the sex of children and its implications for reproductive behaviour in Urban Himachal Pradesh 1999;23-9.
- Malhi P. Influence of gender preference for children on fertility behaviour: A comparative study of men and women in Haryana 1995; 53-7.
- Madhura Ashturkar, Kevin Fernandez, and Harshal T Pandve A Cross-Sectional Study of Factors Influencing Sex Preference of a Child Among Married Women in Reproductive Age Group in a Rural Area of Pune, Maharashtra Indian J Community Med. 2010 July; 35(3): 442–443.
- Walia A. Female feticide in Punjab: Exploring the socio-economic and cultural dimensions. J Soc Issues 2005;10:1.
Abstract Views: 575
PDF Views: 0